The Jesus Job
by gypsyfenix
Summary: Remember Carly from White Horses and Fairy Tales? She's back to help Eliot and the Leverage crew get back at the people who swindled Hardison's aunt. Written in a Harlequin Romance style. Just a warning.
1. Chapter 1

**The Jesus Job **

Hardison sat at the head of the table in the briefing room, chewing his lip, waiting for the others. Eliot was the last one to enter the room; the rest of the team was sitting around with solemn looks on their faces. He stared at everyone before he sat down. "What's going on?" he asked suspiciously. "Is this about the leftover Chinese? I asked if anyone wanted it!"

Nate gave him a meaningful look, and then looked at Hardison. Hardison was sitting with a folder in front of him, staring at it. "They swindled her, man. Nana's sister. We called her Aunt Harriet. She used to watch us sometimes." Hardison ran his hand over top of his head, obviously agitated. He shook his head and looked at Nate.

"Man, they swindled her out of her life savings! We got to do something!"

Sophie was sitting next to Hardison and reached over to cover his hand with hers. "We will, Hardison. Why don't you tell us what happened."

"Ya'll heard of Jeff and Amy Avery?"

"The evangelists?" Eliot asked.

Everyone turned to look at him. "My grandma watches them." When the stares continued, he snapped, "What? I can't have a grandma?"

"I've done some checking. They've build a resort for couples and most of their money is channeled into that. They call it some kind of 'building fund'. The resort is called 'The Savior's Union Couples Camp'. It's designed to save marriages with counseling and fellowship."

One of the screens of the viewing system on the wall showed a smiling couple dressed in white. Another screen showed a four-story palatial building of Italian architecture with lavish gardens and multiple floors.

"So, how did they swindle Aunt Harriet?" Sophie asked.

"They called her on the phone and started talking to her about her salvation. How she could show God just how devout she is by pledging. The more she gave, the happier it made God."

Nate cleared his throat. "I'm going to go out on a limb here…Aunt Harriet…how is her mental health?"

"Nate!!!" Sophie said, shocked.

Parker glared and Eliot scowled at him.

Hardison shook his head. "She's got senile dementia. It's in the early stages. I could give her the money back but…"

Nate nodded. "But you want them to pay."

"Damn straight! This is my Aunt Harriet we're talking about. And there has to be others out there."

"Okay, so how do we get in?" Parker asked. "And who gets to play the married couple." She glanced at Eliot nervously.

Eliot's eyes widened. "Oh, no! HELL no! I ain't playing her husband. No way I'm getting stuck in a room with her."

Parker wrinkled her nose at him. He glared at her and shook his head.

"Here's what I got so far. They charge $2000 a week and all the couples are members of the 'Avery Brigade', their membership club they call a 'church'. They charge $10000 a year in dues. And there is definitely something wrong with this resort.

"They have a surveillance system that would make the Pentagon jealous. There's a server with an external Internet feed, which I assume is for webcasts of their weekly program. I've tapped into their 'guest list' if we need to go undercover that way. I'm thinking we need at least one other person as a staff member to move around inside."

Suddenly, Hardison stopped and looked at Nate. He was watching intently and silently. "Sorry, man. I was so wrapped up in this…"

"It's quite alright, Hardison. But how do you propose to get the money back?"

"Well, that is your area of expertise. I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter." Hardison smiled at him.

Nate smiled back and looked at Sophie. "I'm thinking investors. Married God-fearing investors."

He turned and looked at Parker. "Parker, how are your cleaning skills?"

She glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The cleaning staff has a run of the place and we need tactical support. You can place our equipment inside where we need it and find out more about the surveillance system first hand. But we need Eliot to actually check out the computer room. The staff is probably God-fearing and mostly male; he'd have a better chance of gaining entry. I don't think the 'wink and the shimmy' is going to work here."

"Well, okay. As long as I don't have to sleep with him." She gestured towards Eliot.

"In your dreams!" he hissed.

"So, are we the married couple?" Sophie purred and gazed at Nate hopefully.

"Oh, no. We can't be clients." He thought about it for a few minutes. "I don't know. If we had someone to pose as Eliot's wife. . . "

"Who? Maggie?" Eliot asked.

"Oh, you would just love that, wouldn't you?" Nate spat.

"Hey, I told you I was doing my job. Can I help it if she finds me attractive?"

"HA!!!" Nate ran his fingers through his hair. "That is _not_ going to happen."

Eliot bit his lip to keep from laughing. Then suddenly, he broke out into grin.

Sophie looked at him warily. "Eliot?"

"I know someone. She'll be perfect. Her name's Carly."

"Can she be trusted?" Parker asked.

"She owes me a favor. She'll be okay. Just let me make a phone call." He gave Parker a stern look. "And Parker? Behave yourself."

Parker was beaming. "We get to meet Eliot's girlfriend," she teased.

He scowled at her. "See, that's what I'm talking about. She's not my girlfriend." He turned around and walked out the door before they could see the smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1: Eliot's Proposal**

Carly was at work finishing the weekly schedule, when she heard a faint buzzing sound coming from her desk drawer. She opened it and grabbed her cell phone. When she flipped it open the caller id read "Mark," which was how Eliot had listed himself in her cell phone's address book.

Her heart skipped a beat as she caught her breath. As she remembered it, they hadn't parted on the best of terms. He had dropped her off at her house after what could have been a very passionate evening, except for the call he'd received. Since then, she had regretted the way she'd reacted. She had even considered calling him, but her pride wasn't ready to play second string to Eliot's other life. She'd played that waiting game before.

Panic went through her as her imagination went wild, wondering why he would be calling. Had his ex-girlfriend escaped from prison? _Calm down_. He's probably bored and just wants to chat. Carly almost laughed out loud at the notion of Eliot Spencer being bored. Glancing around to see if anyone was listening, she answered quietly. Cell phone calls were strictly forbidden at Camco.

"Hello?" she whispered.

"Carly? I can hardly hear you."

"I'm at work, Eliot. I can't talk. What do you want?" she hissed.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Can we meet somewhere in about 15 minutes? There's something I need to talk to you about."

Her heart leapt to her throat. "Did Lisa escape?"

He laughed. "No, it's nothing like that. The guys I work with need an extra person on this job. I sort of recommended you."

Carly thought about it for all of 5 seconds. "Sure, Eliot. I'll be there."

She ended the call and mulled over her decision. She had said "yes" for two reasons. She owed the man her life. And it gave her an excuse to see him again and find out if the chemistry she had experienced was still there. Then there was the fact she was curious to find out more about his other life.

Carly left work, giving an excuse that a distant relative had called and was stranded with car trouble. Well, someone had called, so that part wasn't a lie.

As she arrived at the address he had given her, she began to wonder what was going on. All this "mystery man" business was beginning to wear on her nerves. She entered the office building determined she was going to get some answers once and for all. This time she wasn't going to be affected by his "good ol' boy charm". When she saw him leaning against the wall by the elevators, she had to catch her breath as she took in the long brown hair, the tight jeans and dark blue shirt straining against his biceps. As she walked up to him, he smiled and she almost tripped. Eliot reached out and took her arm. "Carly. I'm glad you could come."

She cleared her throat and tried to look serious. "What's this about?"

"Just listen before you decide, and if you don't think you can do it, let me know. All I can say is there will be a very big payoff at the end."

"So is this about the 'team' you work with?"

"Yep." He led her into the waiting elevator. "Now, I have to warn you, these guys are a bit strange. The blonde, Parker? A bit crazy, but she's nice. They're all nice people. We don't always get along, though."

"Crazy?"

"You'll see. She's fairly harmless, though."

She glared at him suspiciously, remembering Lisa, his ex-girlfriend who almost killed her. Again the fear of what kind of business he was in began to surface.

"What? You can trust these guys. Scout's honor." He made a two-fingered saluting gesture.

The elevator opened and they stepped out into a hallway lined with glass doors. "Eliot, were you even in the Boy Scouts?"

"Who said anything about Boy Scouts?" He winked. "Cherokee Indian, darlin'."

Carly rolled my eyes. _Dear Lord, help me. What am I getting myself into?_

They walked down the hallway and through an office door with "Leverage Consulting" painted on the glass. The lobby was typical with plants, a sofa for waiting clients and the words "Leverage Consulting" on the wall in block letters. He led her into a room with a long conference table where four people sat. As Eliot and Carly walked in, they all looked up. It was all Carly could do not to turn and run when she saw the suspicious looks on their faces. Eliot took one look at her face and tightened his grip on her arm slightly.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Carly. This is Nate, Sophie, Hardison and Parker." He pointed around the table as he said their names. They all nodded except for Hardison, who grinned.

Parker was still eyeing her suspiciously. "Are you sure we can trust her?"

Eliot glared at her. "Parker, what did I tell you?" he hissed.

Carly caught a gleam in the pretty blonde's eye and she bit her lip to keep from smiling.

"How much do you know about us?" Nate asked.

Carly glanced at Eliot nervously who nodded encouragingly. "Only that you help victims of corporate injustice."

Nate raised an eyebrow. "If that's all he told you, and you still came here, I'd say you can be trusted. And you have a lot to learn about us."

"Well, I owe Eliot. I might not be here if it weren't for him. I trust him with my life."

"Eliot tells me you're good at improvisation," Sophie said, her brown doe-eyes wide with interest.

Carly looked at Eliot, uncertain how to answer.

He explained. "I told them about the night at the bar, when we were acting like we knew each other."

Carly nodded. "I'm not sure why, but it seems to work with us."

"Well, here's what's going on, Carly. Hardison's Aunt Harriet has been swindled out of her life savings. The people that did it run a marriage counseling resort. We need you and Eliot to pose as a married couple."

She jerked her head towards Eliot, staring at him in shock. "WHAT?"

Nate raised his eyebrows. "I take it you didn't tell her that part."

"Well, I . . . I thought. . . I mean . . ." he stammered. "We'll just be acting, Carly."

"Acting married? And sharing a room together?" Her voice was tinged with anger and a hint of indignation.

"With a double bed. One double bed," Parker emphasized with an evil grin on her face.

"Parker!" Eliot growled threateningly.

Hardison got up and walked over to her. His big brown eyes were pleading. "Carly, this is for my Aunt Harriet. I know you don't know me, but I promise you, if you ever need my help, you can call me.

"And I also know Eliot is an honorable man and would never do anything to take advantage of you." He gave Eliot a teasing look.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that." she blurted out. She instantly regretted it when she realized that all eyes in the room were on her, with a knowing look on all their faces.

"Oh, really?" Nate smirked.

Eliot sighed. "Guys, come on. It's not what you think. Someone threw a brick through her window and I let her stay at my place. I haven't seen her since."

She caught Hardison and Parker smiling before they broke eye contact with each other.

"So what makes you think you two can be convincing as a married couple?"

Carly glanced at Eliot and met his eyes. He looked uncertain a moment, then broke into a smile. His eyes never left her face as he explained. "We seemed to have made a connection. We can read each other."

She looked down, embarrassed by his intimacy in front of the others. She had been thinking the same thing in the weeks since she'd first met him. Her mind often went back to the night he'd probably saved her life, the night they met in the bar and pretended to know each other. There definitely something there, almost as if they could read each other's mind.

Carly looked up at Nate. "He's right. I feel comfortable with Eliot. I don't think I'll have any problems."

Nate studied both of them for a few moments. Carly felt like a teenager showing up with a new boyfriend for the first time. One that rode up in a motorcycle and was covered with tattoos.

He sighed. "Okay. But if anything goes wrong, or you don't feel right, you have to let us know," he said with a stern look.

She nodded. Eliot sighed loudly. Whether it was a sigh of relief or frustration was hard to tell.

"Well, then. Let's continue with our plans."

Carly understood most of what was being said during the meeting. Nate and Sophie were going to pose as investors in their resort franchise. Parker was going in as a member of the housekeeping staff and Hardison was staying back at base as the computer support. She and Eliot would be posing as a married couple in need of counseling.

"How do you know this will work? I mean, how do you know they'll accept your offer?"

"Because we've done our homework," Hardison answered. "The Averys have a history of obtaining their followers' assets through fear and guilt tactics. Religion is often a person's most vulnerable spot, especially in older people. The promise of Heaven and fear of Hell are valuable tools."

Nate nodded in agreement. "Yes, and according to their financial reports, the Avery's religious beliefs are of a more profitable nature. I don't think we'll have any problem getting them to accept a chance to expand their 'empire.'

He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Okay, people! Let's go steal a religious compound!" he said eagerly.

Carly turned and looked at Eliot, an uneasy look on her face.

He smiled sheepishly. "He gets like that sometimes."

Parker leaned towards her. "He's been this way ever since he quit drinking. Creepy," she said in a conspiring tone.

Eliot glared at her. He put a hand on Carly's shoulder and smiled. Then he leaned over and whispered, "You trust me, don't you?"

A shiver ran down her as she remembered the last time he whispered in her ear. In spite of her misgivings, she nodded. She trusted Eliot with her life.

Nate's Proposal

Nate and Sophie stood in the ante room of the Avery's main office. The back wall in front of the receptionist's desk was graced with a 10-foot painted portrait of Jeff and Amy Avery wearing white and bathed in a pale yellow light. Nate had to look twice to make sure there weren't wings attached. Sophie smiled slyly at the look on his face. "And you thought Hardison's portrait was hideous."

Nate raised an eyebrow, thinking of a comeback, but before he could answer the receptionist spoke. "The Averys will see you now."

Another glance at each other, a smile and Nate and Sophie turned around with their stage-faces in place.

"Outstanding! God bless you child." There was a click and the door opened automatically behind her.

"I guess religious factions of any denomination can't be too careful nowadays." Nate whispered with raised eyebrows as they walked toward the door to the inner office.

Sophie nodded. "Religious leaders give me the creeps. You can never tell when they're lying or being evangelical."

Nate laughed in spite of himself.

Once they entered the office, they were face to face with the Avery's. Jeff was a middle aged short stout man with slightly graying temples. Amy was a slender younger woman, probably about Parker's age. The bouffant hairstyle aged her somewhat along with the few extra pounds in the bust and hip area. Sophie guessed there was a corset somewhere under that double breasted pink Chanel suit she was wearing.

Nate and Sophie were met with wide painted-on smiles to match their own. The Avery's greeted the couple with warm handshakes.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hargrove, Mrs. Hargrove.

"Oh, please, call me Ted. This is Karen, my lovely wife of 10 years."

Sophie's expression faltered for a split second when she heard that last part. It was still hard to hear those words spoken by Nate, even though she knew it was part of the con. She turned and smile at Amy. "That is a lovely suit you're wearing. It's Chanel, right?"

"Why, thank you! I believe just because we are representing God there's no reason to dress shabby." She eyed Sophie reserved yet stylish a-line dress. "Maybe we should go shopping someday."

Sophie struggled with her facial expression, resisting the urge to shoot daggers at the woman. "I'd like that Ms. Avery," she managed to say with a pleasant smile.

Amy Avery scrunched her face into something that resembled a smile if she had just eaten a sour pickle. Sophie squeezed Nate's arm, her signal to get this over with fast.

"Well, shall we get started?" Nate asked.

Jeff Avery waved toward the sofa on the opposite side of the room and crossed to sit in a wing-backed chair. Amy perched daintily on the arm of the chair and crossed her arm over the back, leaning slightly towards her husband.

"I've taken an interest in what you have here, Mr. Avery. You've got the best of both worlds. An evangelical fellowship where you can deliver God's message and run a profitable business at the same time." Nate's words were met with a scowl. "I guess this gives you more money to reach more people with God's message. After all, that's what's most important. Right, Mr. Avery?"

"Please, call me 'Jeff." Avery was smiling again. "Yes, sir. The more I do God's will, the more responsibility I'm rewarded with. Not that I'm complaining."

"Oh, no sir. That's why I think what I have to tell you might be of interest to you."

"Oh?" Avery raised his eyebrows.

"I've recently acquired a nice parcel of land and a tidy sum to go with it. I was thinking about offering you a chance to expand your operation."

"And what exactly would be the terms of this offer."

"I give you rights to the land and 50 percent startup money in return for 20 percent of the profits of this operation, plus $120,000."

For a moment, Sophie thought Amy was going to go ass-over-teakettle off the arm of the chair. Her eyelashes fluttered and it was the first time she'd seen that fake smile falter. She wasn't sure if it was from shock, fear, or anger. She was usually good at reading people's faces, but this woman apparently was as talented, if not better than Sophie at working a con. Jeff Avery was apparently better at hiding his emotions and retained the smile that was frozen to his face.

"_Mr. Hargrove_," he hissed. "I believe you're under false assumptions about our _business._ We certainly aren't in the market for expansion."

Nate nodded. "I understand. Well, we won't waste anymore of your time, Mr. Avery."

He stood up quickly and Sophie followed him to the door, a demure smile on her face. She knew this game. Bait and hook. Dangling the carrot in front of their faces and then pull them along by their noses. She wondered if they would actually make it out the door before they found out if it had worked.

Nate and Sophie were opening the door when they heard an angry whisper behind them from Amy. Jeff answered angrily in a low tone that sounded like "we need to discuss this."

"Mr. Hargrove!" Amy shrieked. "Wait. I believe my husband was a bit too hasty. I'd really like to hear more of the details of your offer."

Nate and Sophie arranged their faces before they turned around to remove the triumphant smiles.

"You see, I've been toying with the idea of a spa for women, where women of God can be comfortable in their surroundings. It would be complete with Bible studies and inspirational movies. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

Sophie's bright smile was genuine. She had surmised that Amy was the controller of the finances. "Why that sounds absolutely heavenly!"

Amy wrapped her arm around Sophie's. "Why don't we go have a nice cup of coffee and let the men folk talk business."

She cast a wary eye at Nate before letting herself be led away by Amy. He smiled and winked at her, then turned to Jeff.

"Well, that's our cue. How 'bout we get down to business."

Jeff suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Mr. Hargrove, I have to level with you. My wife's money is what started this operation, an inheritance from her parents."

Nate nodded. Of course he'd already received that information from Hardison's research, plus the fact that Amy's name was on several failed business ventures who's licensing documents had surfaced during his dig.

"I understand Mr. Avery. Women can be headstrong at times."

"Yes, well…Amy doesn't have a very good head for business."

Nate nodded. "I see. Of course, you would be overseeing that operation."

"I've got all I can do to run this business. I take care of all the finances, the day-to-day operations, the grounds keeping, the maintenance…while she's off doing whatever she does all day."

"She spends a lot of time with the guests?"

"Not really. They're all couples. The only single person we have any contact with is Steve Carroll, our counselor."

"Well, maybe that's a good thing. At least you don't have to pay extra for marriage counseling." He laughed sadistically. "So this, Steve Carroll, what do you know about him?"

"I'm on it, boss," Hardison said on his com.

A few minutes later, he came back on. "Steve Carroll, graduated 4th in his class….had several jobs as counselor….well, look at this! Seems there was a sexual harassment suit filed against him by several of his patients at his last clinic. That was right before he came here. He agreed to undergo therapy as terms of his agreement. Nate, looks like we have a pervert counseling Nate and Carly."

"Mr. Avery. I have to go find Karen. We have to make arrangements to fly out to the site, make sure everything is okay for your visit."

He turned around to see Amy and Sophie standing in the doorway. "Karen, darling. We have to go."

Amy's expression was panic-stricken. "NO! You can't! I thought the deal was all set?"

Nate looked at Sophie and smiled slightly. He knew he could count on the grifter to close the deal. He couldn't wait to find out what she had said to her to get her so excited about the transaction.

"Honey, don't you think we should talk about this?"

"What's there to discuss? Besides it's my business," she said in a vicious tone, which softened when she remembered they weren't alone. "It's just another resort. Like this one. We're having fun with this one, what's one more?" She grabbed the pen off the desk and scribbled her name on the bottom line. Nate showed her where to initial and sign on the other pages.

Jeff took the pen from his wife's hand and reluctantly signed underneath hers. He glanced at Nate, a humble expression on his face that made him almost feel sorry for him.

After they entered the elevator for the ride down and the door closed, Nate asked Sophie, "Okay, what did you tell her?"

"I told her my grandmother was a cousin to the Chanel family. She might have been under the impression that I get a discount or something."

"Or something?"

Sophie smiled devilishly. Nate caught his breath and smiled back.


	3. Chapter 3

Happy Campers

"So, how do you want to work this?" Eliot asked Carly as they settled in the back of the car.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"We're a married couple with problems. We have to work out some kind of back story."

"Oh, you mean like you spend too much time with your friends, not enough time with me? Or even better, how many times do I have to ask you to mow the grass and take out the garbage? Don't forget about the back door that needs fixing or the fence that needs painting. While I do all the housework and washing and cooking, you spend weekends with your buddies hunting and fishing."

Eliot stared wide-eyed at her. "Yeah, something like that."

Hardison was posing as their driver and snickered from the front seat. "Oh, yeah. You two make the perfect couple."

Eliot glared angrily at the rear view mirror until he was sure Hardison saw him. Then said quietly, "You act like you know something about it."

"I was married for a few years."

He nodded. "He left you?"

"No, I kicked him out."

"Because he spent weekends with his buddies?" he said softly.  
"No, not only that. He wouldn't keep a job. I had to pay all the bills. We couldn't even afford a vacation."

He nodded and then stared out the window.

"Hey, man, did you tell her about the coms?" Hardison asked from the front.

"Oh, yeah. We wear these ear bud things that let us hear each other. Can be a bit annoying at times." He glared at Hardison when he said the last part.

"So, I don't get one?" Carly asked.

"No…it's just kind of a team thing. Nate's wife used one and…well…I didn't think..I mean Nate…."

She held up her hands. "I don't want one. Trust me."

Since they had a two hour drive to the resort, Eliot explained that they had to learn as much about each other as possible so they would get tripped up by intimate details. Carly already knew he liked to cook. He was amused to discover that she liked to bake. Their taste in music covered a broad spectrum, as she preferred classical music and folk music; he liked country and rock. His favorite food was Mexican, hers was Italian. It bothered her that they seemed to be opposites in many respects, but yet they still seemed to get along. There was definitely a pull there, some attraction.

"I'm surprised you said 'yes.' I thought you'd never want to speak to me again," Eliot teased.

"Well, I started thinking about it. And I came to a conclusion."

"And what was that?"

"That if you were crazy enough to walk out on me, then I'm sure you had a good reason."

He laughed. "When we're through with this job, I'd like to take you out some place nice, if that's okay."

"Sure. Only this time, I get to pick the restaurant. Just in case you happened to find another girlfriend."

"Fair enough."

Several times Carly caught Hardison smiling at them in the rearview mirror.

As they came closer to the resort, Carly and Eliot sat at opposite sides of the car in the back seat, not looking at each other. Carly was nervous, so it wasn't hard to translate that into friction between them. Finally, Eliot reached over and took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. When she looked at him, he raised his eyebrows slightly, a questioning look in his eyes. She nodded slightly, thinking "I'm okay" But she wasn't really. She was terrified. She didn't know what to say or do, as she was scared too death of saying the wrong thing and blowing their cover.

As soon as they pulled into the resort gates, he let go of her hand, but not without giving it another squeeze. As they pulled up to the main entrance of the building, Carly gasped at the scenery. It looked like an Italian villa with a fountain in front. As soon as they stopped, Eliot got out and walked around to the other side. Carly sat there in the car, expecting him to open the door, but he stood there with his back to her. Finally getting the message she opened the door and got out. "You could at least get the luggage out of the car, Mark!" she hissed.

Hardison walked around and began pulling their luggage out of the trunk. "That's okay, Ms. Anderson. I got this." He smiled brightly at her and she returned the gesture. Suddenly she felt a hot breath down her neck.

"You flirtin' with my wife?" Eliot growled behind her. "Why don't you just leave the luggage and go back to town? Thank you."

Hardison glanced behind them and nodded. "I believe your caretaker is here, sir."

Eliot sneered at him. "I'll see you in four days. Don't forget that."

"Mr. and Mrs. Anderson? I'm Steve Carroll. I'll be your counselor."

They turned to see a stocky man dressed in khaki Dockers and a pale blue polo shirt with a camp logo on the front. Eliot smiled and took his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"Mrs. Anderson?" He took her hand and held it briefly. It was all she could do not to snatch it away. Something about this guy gave her the creeps. She managed to smile and say, "Mr. Carroll? Nice to meet you."

"I'll show you to your room so you can freshen up. Your orientation starts at 3:00."

They followed Steve with the luggage. As soon as they were in the room, Steve handed Carly a booklet.

"These are the rules. Please read them. It's nothing very restrictive, mainly things we need to state to please the insurance company." He laughed. "So, I'll see you in the auditorium about 3:00?"

When he left, Carly looked at Eliot warily, uncertain what to do. He looked around. "Nice place. Reminds me of the Ramada Inn in Dallas. Well . . ." He glanced at Carly self-consciously and went to the bathroom. The noises she heard made her wonder what it sounded like to Nate and the rest of the crew. She assumed he could turn the com off and on to ensure privacy. She smiled at the thought of the noises Hardison might have to listen to if that weren't the case. She busied herself unpacking her clothes and putting them away, then sat on the couch with the booklet and started to read the "Rules."Among them were:

**No consumption of alcoholic beverages.** That was a no brainer; it was a religious resort.

**No Smoking.**

**Certain areas were restricted to clients for reasons of security and liability.** That made sense too, but it also meant that it would be harder for anyone to snoop around.

As if on cue, there came a knock on the door. She glanced to the bathroom door and called to Eliot. "There's someone at the door. Are you about finished?"

He came out and went to the door as soon as she spoke. When he opened it, she was relieved to see Parker smiling brightly. "Hi, I'm Sara, your housekeeper. Is the room to your liking?"

Eliot smiled. "Yes, thanks."

Parker nodded. "Let me just check and be sure you have enough towels." She walked quickly across the room and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Yes, that might be a good idea. Are you sure this room has been cleaned recently?"

"I swept it this morning myself. You can check the housekeeping log. It's there in the desk drawer."

He nodded and walked over to the desk. He pulled out a form and looked at it. "Looks good. When will you be back?"

"Oh, we clean the rooms every day. Usually around 3:00."

Eliot smiled. "Thanks, Sara."

Parker beamed, stood at attention and saluted. Then she picked up her cleaning pail and walked out.

Eliot shook his head and snickered. "Man, they sure know how to pick 'em. Like that Steve guy. Did you see that look he gave you?"

Carly stared at him. Something about the expression on his face told her he was up to something. She also had a feeling that the exchange he had with Parker wasn't about housekeeping. Not sure about what was going on, she played along. "What look? Mark, honestly. I don't understand why you're so jealous."

"You don't, do you?" He crossed the room and grabbed her. She tried to relax and act like she had done this a hundred times. "You know I'm crazy about you, baby. I really want this to work. That's the only reason I'm here." Then he pulled her against him and pressed his hand against her back. She felt his hand in her jeans pocket. She could feel his breath on her ear as he whispered, "Go to the bathroom and read this."

"I know, Mark. I've got to go get ready." She pulled away from him went over to the suitcase and opened it. She picked out a pantsuit that Sophie had loaned her and walked to the bathroom on shaking legs.

As soon as she shut the door, she retrieved the piece of paper and unfolded it. As she read the note, the blood rushed from her face. What she read changed everything.

_They've planted several bugs in the room. Not sure why yet. Hardison's working on it._

Carly sat on the toilet seat, stunned, the note in her hand. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, just staring at the note, until there was a soft knock on the door.

"Jen?"

_Jen? Who's . . ._ Then she remembered her "con name." "What?"

"Are you almost ready?"

"I think I'll take a shower."

There was a pause, then "oh, okay. We have to be down at 3:00. It's 2:15 now."

Oh great. She's paired up with Mr. Punctual. Then she had an idea. "Don't rush me!" she snapped. If they were supposed to be a dysfunctional couple, why not kick it up a notch. At least if they were fighting all the time, they wouldn't be expected to have sex.

She took her time in the shower, trying to calm her nerves and decide what to do next. She came out of the bathroom dressed in a linen pants and silk top that Sophie had let her borrow. As she walked over to the closet to get her jacket, she watched Eliot out of the corner of her eye. He was appraising her, an evil smirk on his face. She pulled on her jacket and looked at him. His face may have been twisted into a mean smile, but his eyes were dancing.

"Well, don't you look nice?" he sneered. He stood up. "You make me feel under-dressed as usual. But maybe that was the whole idea."

She examined his tight dark blue jeans, light blue dress shirt and dark jacket. She didn't really see anything wrong with what he was wearing. As far as she was concerned, he could wear anything and look good.

"And how is that my problem?" She snapped. He shook his head and went to the door. Before he could reach it, she grabbed the door knob and swung it open with such force, he jerked back to avoid being hit with it. She was halfway to the elevator before he caught up with her.

They were silent on the elevator ride down and out of the building. The residential part of the resort was separated from the social part, the buildings that housed the cafeteria and auditorium, as well as the counseling and the operations offices. Between the two was a well kept lawn, with walkways, trees, benches and birdfeeders. If it weren't for the four-story buildings, it would look like a park. As soon as they were out the door and a few feet away from the building, Eliot said, "We can talk now. You okay?"

"A little freaked. Bugs? You mean microphones? In our room?"

"Yep. Parker left that note for us. They've even planted a microphone in the light switch in the bathroom. Hardison's trying to hack into the system, find out what's up. Meanwhile, we need to figure out how to make this work for us."

"But why are there mikes in our room?" she hissed. "And why doesn't that bother you?"

"It does bother me. It means something's going on that we didn't plan for. But I trust Hardison to take care of the problem. He's one of the best hackers in the country, possibly in the world."

"What do I need to do?"

"Keep acting like a nagging wife. Good idea."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." She bit her bottom lip and frowned. "But what about tonight. They expect us to act like…you know…a married couple."

He stopped and turned to face her. "We'll just have to play it by ear. Don't worry. You seem to be pretty good at that."

She rolled her eyes.

"Does that bother you? Pretending we're married?" He had a strange look on his face, but Carly couldn't read him. That was one of the things that unnerved her about him, not being able to read his emotions at times. There seemed to be a veil behind his eyes, and at times a wall around his heart. She felt he was afraid of getting too close.

"No, of course not. If that were it, I would have said no to this whole thing." Carly crossed her arms and sighed. "Tell me again why we're doing this?"

"To get Aunt Harriet's money back."

"No, I mean, why do I have to be here? You already have Parker."

"Parker does not really need to go in alone. Besides, I've already discussed how I will not share a room with her, much less a bed."

She laughed, for a moment forgetting she was supposed to be "in character" to anyone who may be watching.

Eliot grunted. "No laughing! We're supposed to be fighting, remember?"

After that, she had to cover her face with her hand until she could compose herself. When she peeped at him through her fingers, he was standing there with his hands on his hips, his trademark scowl on his face. He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she noticed a tiny smirk twisted the corner of his mouth. "Come on. We're going to be late."

He put his finger in his ear then a distracted look appeared on his face. She knew that meant he had turned on his com and he was updating whoever was on the other end when he spoke.

"We're on our way to orientation. After that we go to dinner, then a movie." He hesitated and looked at her. "How am I supposed to do that?" He grunted. "I don't know about that. I've got a bad feeling about this place. And I don't like the idea of leaving her alone in the room." He listened and nodded. "Maybe I can slip out during the movie."

They sat through the liveliest orientation she had ever been to, the audience was laughing loudly at every joke, no matter how miniscule. The only problem being she didn't get half the jokes since she'd never heard of the Averys before last week. So she followed Eliot's cue and laughed along with him.

After the orientation, there was a movie about a couple who were having marital problems. It was worse than anything she had ever seen on the women's movie channel. Eliot sighed a few times beside her.

"This is the worst movie I've ever seen. Where did they get this?"

"I think it may have been produced in house. Isn't that Amy playing the best friend?"

"Sophie could have played the part better."

"Oh, is she a good actor?"

He looked at her and then laughed loudly. Then someone behind them shushed them.

Halfway into movie, during the scene where the couple had a car accident at night, she pretended as if it were no big deal when Eliot got up and left. After about 20 minutes, he sat back down and whispered, "Did I miss anything?" She rolled her eyes and looked up at the screen. He chuckled loudly and whispered, "How can they show a movie without popcorn? They could at least give us some Milk Duds!"

Laughter escaped her without warning. Someone behind her said, "Shhhhh!" She sank down in her seat and glared at Eliot, who snickered softly.

The First Time

They were walking back to their room after the movie and Carly hadn't said a word since they left the auditorium. She kept thinking about the microphones in the room and what would happen when they got there. Carly was fast becoming a nervous wreck, and though she tried not to show it, apparently she was unsuccessful. It sounded so simple when it was first presented to her; check in as a married couple until Eliot and the crew could gather enough information to bury the Averys. There were too many surprises for her to feel comfortable with this situation.

"You having second thoughts about this?" Eliot asked with a concerned tone in his voice.

Carly stared at Eliot with surprise. "I…don't know. Is it always like this?"

"What, not going as planned?" He shrugged. "Sometimes. That's why you have to be able to think on your feet. That's what we're good at." He stopped walking and grabbed her arm. Facing her, he placed his hands on her arms and looked her in the eye. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"I know that. I mean, what could happen?"

"People get desperate. You never know what someone is capable of when they're cornered."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

"I'm going to be going out for a while tonight. I think I've found the computer room and I need to set up an excuse for being near there."

Carly nodded. "I'll be okay, really."

Eliot leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "That's my girl."

She giggled in spite of herself. He wrapped his arm around her waist and they started walking back to their room. Carly relaxed, thinking how good his arm felt around her and found herself wondering what would happen after this was over. Maybe she should make the first move and ask him out.

When they got back to the room, they watched TV while Carly tried to act as normal as possible. Finally, when she thought she couldn't stand it anymore, she announced she was going to bed. She went into the bathroom to take a shower, carrying her "reserved" nightgown to put on. Eliot remained on the couch watching TV.

While she was in the bathroom, she heard the door open. "I'm going for a walk. Be back in a few," he called to her. When she heard him shut the door, she hurriedly rinsed off and peered around the shower curtain to make sure he was gone. She wrapped a towel around her wet body and stepped out of the tub. It was then she saw something on the mirror, etched in the moisture the steam had left.

In big letters, Eliot had written. "Don't worry. We're okay."

Huh? What did he mean by that? She dressed hurriedly crawled into bed before Eliot could get back.

As she lay in bed, she started imagining what it was like to have someone listening to you all the time. Eliot had told her on the ride over that the coms they wore could be turned off, which was a good thing. She didn't think she could ever face Hardison again knowing he had heard them having even fake sex. Her imagination began rambling through all the different scenarios of what Hardison would hear and suddenly she imagined the look on his face. She laughed out loud. Of course, that was the moment the door opened and Eliot stepped in.

"What's got you in such a good mood?"

"I just thought of something funny, that's all."

He came over to the bed and sat down, smiling at her. He leaned down and put his arm around her neck and pulled her towards him to give her a gentle lingering kiss. It was over before she could wonder what he was up to.

He leaned back and smiled at her. "I have a feeling this is going to be a special night for us, darling. I'll be in bed as soon as I take a quick shower, okay?"

Carly nodded, afraid to speak. She hadn't been this nervous since the night she lost her virginity. He kissed her on the nose and let her go. She watched him walk to the bathroom and shut the door.

After she climbed into bed, she pulled the covers up around her face. What was going to happen next? She could only wait until he was in bed and gave her more instructions.

He was through sooner than she had expected. "You haven't gone to sleep on me, have you?"

She peeped out from under the cover and watched him cross to turn off the light, trying very hard not to stare at his body. He was wearing black boxer-briefs and no shirt. She had only imagined what he looked like underneath his clothes, but now that she saw the well developed chest, the carved biceps, pecs and shoulders she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time. This was going to be harder than she thought.

Carly took a deep breath to steady her nerves and get control. When she exhaled, it came out more uneven and harder than she intended.

"Are you okay?" Eliot whispered next to her.

She fought the urge to jump and move away. She had been concentrating so hard trying to control her nerves that she hadn't felt him climb into bed with her. "M..Mark…."

He gathered into his arms gently and pulled her on top of him. Then he pushed her face back until she could see his face. Even in the dim light, she could make out his sparkling blue eyes. They were searching her face intently now. "I love you so much, Jen. I really want this to work."

"I do too, Mark." Hearing him say those words was more than she could bear. Tears stung her eyes as she thought what it would be like to hear him say "Carly" instead of "Jen."

He pulled her to him and kissed her, and this was no act. It was a passionate, probing kiss. She felt the tension melt away to be replaced by another feeling more intense. Then his lips left her mouth and traveled down to her neck. Carly threw her head back to welcome him, but he moved back up her neck, then nuzzled her ear. "Ever watch 'When Harry Met Sally'? The restaurant scene?"

Carly grinned in the darkness. "Think I can be convincing?"

"Why don't we find out?"

He looked at her and grinned, his blue eyes dancing. "Oh, baby! Yeah, that's it! Right there!"

"Ha…" she began laughing in spite of herself. He grabbed her and kissed her again to shut her up. Then he pulled her on top of him and as her weight shifted she automatically parted her legs and lay across him. She looked down at him and caught her breath. His muscles in his biceps were taunt as he grasped her arms, bulging at the least bit of effort. His smooth hairless chest was moving steadily with his breathing. Suddenly he twitched a muscle and one of his pecs tightened. The sight of it made Carly want to place her mouth over his taunt nipple and bite hard until he yelled with pain. She licked her lips at the thought.

Eliot inhaled sharply and she looked up. He was staring at her, his hungry blue eyes taking in her every move, watching her mouth eagerly. A soft groan escaped him and he grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her towards him. His mouth captured hers and he kissed her hungrily, his tongue probing hers. Her body went weak and she let herself collapse against him. Laying hip to hip, Carly could feel him throbbing against her. Her eyes went wide and he grabbed her ass. What was happening here? Was this part of the plan? Was this what he considered "pretend sex"?

"That's right, baby," he growled. "You know you want that."

A shudder went through her at the sound of his deep gravelly voice and the image his words invoked. She groaned at the thought of him inside her. Before she knew what was happening, she started pressing herself against him. She raised herself up and began rubbing herself against him. Blood began flowing into her loins, making her want more. She pressed herself against his hardness until a tingling sensation began between her legs. The sensation spread into her limbs and made her arms weak. She almost collapsed, but kept going. A small cry escaped her lips and that was all it took. Moving harder now, she let the feeling possess her.

Eliot's hands dug deeply into her flesh pressing her harder against him. There was no way she could stop now. She was moaning and crying louder and the feeling was more intense until she spread her legs wider apart. She wanted so much to feel him inside her and she strained at the thin fabric of her panties, trying so hard to pull him up in her. Another cry and she felt his muscles jump, jerk and tighten. A scream escaped her as she finally felt release and tightened her legs against his thighs.

Suddenly she felt something wet against her skin and realized she wasn't the only one who had an orgasm. She gasped and opened her mouth to apologize, but he covered her mouth quickly with his to stop her. Then with one movement, he flipped her over and lay down on top of her, moving slowly. He bent down and placed his lips near her ear. "It's okay." He leaned back and laughed. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Carly could have punched him. As if she wasn't embarrassed enough, he said "I think we need to come here more often." He kissed her gently. Then she felt him pull his underwear off under the covers. He went to the bathroom and relieved himself, then he came back to bed with a wet washcloth. After he turned off the light, she felt tears come to her eyes. What had she done? This wasn't the way it had been in all her daydreams. Those images that had formed in her mind in spite of the fact she had tried to forget about him. Now that he was with her, in the room, in her bed she wanted so much to make love to him for real. She wanted more than anything to feel his naked flesh against hers as she fell asleep. As if he read her mind, he crawled into bed and gathered her into his arms. One arm found its way under the gown and she fell asleep with his strong protective arm around her waist.

The sound of the door closing woke her up. Her heart stopped when she heard movement in the room. She heard the rustling of clothes being removed and then felt the covers being pulled back. The mattress rocked with his weight as Eliot crawled in next to her. She drew a sigh of relief and breathed in his scent. Immediately she relaxed as he moved next to her and put his arm around her on top of the cover. Smiling in the dark, she fell asleep, safe at last.


	4. Chapter 4

Couples Camp Hell

The next day the schedule was into full swing. They had two hours of group talk, where everyone pretended they had problems worse than everyone else and offered fake support to everyone else. Then there was a handholding ceremony with a sing along. It reminded Carly of that summer she spent at Camp Haliwa, the worst experience of her life. She was basically ignored and teased because she was smaller than everyone else. She wasn't good at sports, couldn't swim, so she spent most of her week pretending to have a stomach ache, hoping they'd call her parents to come get her.

It was little consolation that Eliot was just as miserable, if not more so. When they announced the couple's softball game that she had seen on the itinerary, but was hoping was voluntary, she noticed a change in his expression. Something that looked like hope flickered across his face, followed by amusement. He turned to her and grinned. "You don't really look like the athletic type."

She shook her head. "Why does that statement make me nervous?" she asked warily.

"I'm afraid you're going to get hurt if you play. What do you think?"

Carly groaned and rolled her eyes. "What's the plan?"

"I need more time to get into the server room. We need to get out of this somehow."

"And how are we going to do that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Ever pull a muscle in your leg?"

She frowned. "And how would I do that?"

"Don't worry. I've got that covered."

She stared at him, alarmed. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"If I do that, it might not be believable. You'll be thinking about it too much."

Crossing her arms, she said, "I'm not so sure I like this."

"Look, this is all you have to do. When I hit you, you fall down, okay?"

She laughed sarcastically. "Oh, I'm sure I will."

Fortunately, their team drew the short straw and went outfield first. Eliot was able to convince them that he and Carly played best as a team in right field. He instructed her to stand a few feet to the right and slightly in front of him. The game started and the first three batters hit into left field, to Carly's relief. Then a very athletic looking young man came up to bat. She heard Eliot say "get ready." The ball was pitched, the guy hit it easily and it started coming right towards her. "Jen! Heads up!"

She glanced around to see what Eliot was doing. He was a few feet away and coming fast so she stepped slight to the right. Next thing she knew, he was in front of her catching the ball and falling backwards against her. She fell backwards, but not before she managed to twist away from him. He fell against her, knocking her down. Then he almost fell on top of her, but rolled off to the side. He jumped up with the ball still in his glove, laughing loudly.

Then he turned around and pretended to see her on the ground for the first time. "Oh, Jen! Oh Honey, are you alright?"

If the breath hadn't been knocked out of her she would have been laughing. He hadn't hit her full force; he had rolled and twisted so it just looked like he did. A couple of people on the sidelines came over to check on her. Eliot was already at her side, pulling her up to her feet. As soon as she was upright, she screamed in pain, falling towards Eliot. "Ow, my leg!" she moaned.

He picked her up and carried her to a bench, set her down then kneeled in front of her. A man came up claiming to be a doctor, pulled her pants leg up and asked her where it hurt.

"The back of my leg. My calf."

He pressed and twisted her leg. She cried out in pain as convincingly as she could.

"Looks like she pulled a muscle. Take her back to your room. I'll be in with an ice pack and some pain killers."

Eliot picked her up and started walking. She buried her face in his shoulder to hide the grin on her face.

"Keep it together, 'Jen'," he whispered, chuckling.

"How did you know he would hit it to me?"

He smiled. "Batters always hit it towards the weakest catchers. Didn't you ever play softball in school?"

She frowned. "That is a memory I'd rather keep locked away deep in my psyche, thank you."

The camp doctor came in with an ice pack and a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol, told her stay off her leg the rest of the day, then light activity the rest of the week.

"Oh, well," Carly said grinning slyly. "Guess that puts a damper on our bedroom activities."

"He said to stay off your leg. Didn't say nothing about what you could do lying down." He twisted his mouth into a wry smile.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"And speaking of bedroom activities…" he said raising an eyebrow. Then he stopped talking and looked distracted a moment. "Parker's coming," he whispered.

There came a knock on the door. Eliot crossed the room and opened it, letting the lithe leggy blond in.

"Hello, sir. Here to clean the room." She pushed her cart into the bathroom.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to do that when we're not here?"

She stopped and turned around, frowning. "Why are you here?"

"My wife pulled a calf muscle. She's trying to get some rest."

"Oh, well. I'll just leave some toiletries and get out." Raising her eyebrows, she gave Eliot a meaningful look and went to the bathroom.

Eliot shook his head and ran his hand over his face.

"What exactly is wrong with her?" Carly asked.

He settled down on the couch and leaned towards her. "I've been trying to figure that out since I met her," he whispered.

Parker leaned out of the bathroom and stared at him accusingly. "I heard that!"  
Carly giggled. Parker smiled brightly at her. "I like you. You're nicer than that other one he almost married."

Eliot's face turned red and his eyes narrowed. "PAR …ched….I'm thirsty. You need something to drink with your pills, don't you?" He walked over the small fridge in the corner of the room and pulled out a can of soda. Parker continued to smile at Carly, who was not sure whether to laugh or get the hell out of Dodge.

Eliot settled on the couch again and handed Carly the soda. It was clear he wasn't going to let either female out of his sight until Parker was gone. After she apparently had given the bathroom a once over, she pushed the cart into the middle of the room, gave Eliot a sharp salute, then wheeled the cart out of the room.

"You could at least shut the door!" he called after her.

She popped her head back in. "Don't you hurt her again!" she said with a pout.

Eliot jumped up. "Oh, I'm gonna hurt somebody…."he growled menacingly.

She slammed the door shut and was gone.

Carly was doubled over laughing. "You guys remind me of a dysfunctional family."

He stared at her. "You're the second person to call them 'my family'."

"Who was the first one? The girl you almost married?" she teased.

Carly instantly regretted the remark when she saw the dark look on his face. "Sorry, I should mind my own business."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It happened a long time ago."

"Apparently not long enough," she whispered.

He stood up. "Why don't you take your pills and lay down." He picked up the two pillows on the bed and put them behind her head. Then he took one of the throw pillows and placed them under her leg. Then he rattled the bottle over his hand like he was pouring pills and held his hand over hers. He gave her the soda and as soon as he moved his hand, she playfully brought her hand up to her mouth. There weren't any pills in her hand, but she pretended to swallow and chase them down with soda. Eliot smiled at her. "Good girl," he said with a soft laugh.

He brushed the hair away then leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'm going for a walk so you can get some rest. Here's the remote." He handed it to her, smiling. "I'll be back before you know it."

Even though she hadn't really taken anything, she soon became drowsy. She fell asleep watching TV, thinking about the girl that Eliot had almost married, wondering why she had let him get away.

The next day Carly had made a rapid recovery of course with only a slight limp as evidence of her "injury". At least she didn't have to play any more games, not of the athletic variety, anyway.

They were on their way to their counseling session when he said, "Hardison's having problems hacking into the system. I'm going to have to go out for a while tonight." He said it like he was going out for a loaf of bread.

Her steps faltered and Eliot put his arm around her waist to keep her moving.

"Again? Thanks for at least telling me this time."

"It's alright. I won't be out more than an hour. Nate wants me to check out their computer set up. Something's weird's going on." He looked at her in surprise. "You were awake the other night?"

"I heard you come in. Don't change the subject. What's going on?"

"It's technical. Something about an IP address…upload bandwidth…I don't know."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Not sure. I have to get into the server room and put a flash drive on their computer. Parker hid it in the toilet paper yesterday."

"Why can't he get into their server? I thought you said Hardison was the best hacker in the world."

"I don't know! I'll let him explain it to you, if you want." A distracted look came over his face. "Well, that wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have to do your job for you!"An angry smirk came over his face. "Yeah, well. I don't see you coming down here and pretending to be 'Mr. Anderson.' You know why? There's no way anyone's going to believe you're married." He let out an evil laugh. "I'll give you muscle…"

Carly grabbed his arm and jerked. "El …ah… Mark! Shh…"

A couple was coming towards them on the lawn. Carly smiled and nodded.

"Are you and Hardison always like this?" she asked once they were alone again.

He glared at her and snorted. "Let's go to therapy while I'm still in a bad mood."

Eliot squirmed in his chair as Steve scribbled on a yellow legal pad. The counselor looked at him over his reading glasses. "Tell me, Mark. What does Jennifer do that pleases you?"

He rubbed his chin for a moment, then a wistful smile spread over his face. "She cooks a mean apple pie. She slices the apples just right, not too thin and uses the right amount of cinnamon…"

"No, Mr. Anderson. I mean in bed."

"Oh, well." Eliot smiled slyly at Carly and said, "I don't feel like she's really trying in that department."

Carly's mouth dropped opened and she stared at him in shock. What was she supposed to say to that?

"I mean, it's the same thing every night. And a lot of nights there's some excuse…"

"You forgot to include all the nights you fell asleep watching the game on TV."

"Well, wake me up when you go to bed if it bothers you!"

"Why bother? If you're so bored…"

Steve held up his hand. "Okay!" he said loudly. "I think I'm beginning to see the problem."

Eliot and Carly looked at him.

"What you are experiencing is a power struggle in the bedroom."

"A power struggle," Eliot repeated. "In the bedroom." He eyed Steve with an incredulous glare.

"Yes," Steve confirmed.

Eliot laughed harshly.

Carly glared at him then looked at Steve. "See what I have to put up with."

Steve smiled patiently. "Here's what I want you to do. I want you to describe something you've done with Mark that made you feel good. You first, Carly."

She took a deep breath and fought the urge to look at the clock. What the hell was she going to say? They had talked about certain events in their lives during the trip and connected their two lives, made up and real to make it easier to field the personal questions. But they had avoided the really intimate topics, hoping to fake their way through. Then she remembered something.

"Remember that day we had breakfast in the park? Pancakes from Uncle Bill's?"

Eliot smiled and her heart melted. "Yeah," he said, his voice low and husky. "I remember."

Steve cleared his throat. "Yes, well. It's good for you to have pleasant memories to draw good feelings from. But I was referring to more intimate memories."

Carly bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Eliot spoke up. "Jennifer, remember that last shower we took together?"

She jerked her head towards him. The look in his eyes was searching, reaching for understanding. _Follow my lead,_ his eyes were saying. She swallowed hard and managed a smile. "Yes, I do, Mark. It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has. What kind of body wash was that you used, it had a fruity smell? What was it called? Sweet Daydream?"

Carly's eyes widened. The man knew Victoria's Secret? She had to admit, he was full of surprises.

"I loved soaping you down and watching the suds slide down your body real slow."

Suddenly she couldn't breathe. The image of Eliot soaping her down was right in front of her and she could feel herself slipping into a sexual fantasy. She wasn't sure she could get through this without blowing their cover. Any minute now her face would turn red and she would start babbling like an idiot. How long had they been in here? She glanced at the clock.

In doing so, her sight passed over Steve who was sitting there staring, his jaw slightly relaxed. She looked at Eliot and saw his expression had changed. She thought she saw anger and disgust flickering in his eyes.

Then it was gone, as he winked and smiled. "Steve, you mind if we cut this session short? I think I need a shower, if you know what I mean."

Steve's attention came back and he cleared his throat. "Sure…. Sure. Let's take a break. See you back tomorrow. When you get back to your room, it would be very helpful if you used these emotions to work out your intimacy issues. The sooner the better. We'll discuss the results tomorrow."

Carly and Eliot nodded. They rose and walked toward the door, with Steve escorting them out. As they reached the door, Eliot turned around and grabbed Steve by the hand and slapped him on the back with more force than was necessary. "Thanks, Doc. I promise we'll name our first born after you!" he said with a wink and another pumping handshake. Carly couldn't help but notice Steve flexing his fingers after Eliot released his hand. She quickly ducked out into the hallway before he could see the smirk on her face.

"Great. Not only is our room bugged, this guy is going to get his jollies hearing about it the next day." Eliot was walking fast across the compound with Carly trying to keep up.

"So, we just keep having to fake sex? For how long?"

"I don't know!" he growled. "We have to keep them on the hook until Nate and Sophie can show them the property they've got lined up. He wants us to sell the couple in therapy bit."

"Isn't there something Hardison can do? Kill the mikes or something?"

"If he does that, they'll just fix them. We'll just have to play along. I'm sorry that it bothers you so much to be married to me," he snapped.

Carly stopped walking. Tears stung her eyes and looked away quickly, but not before he saw them. Eliot looked at Carly with a tortured expression as he reached up and took her chin in his hand, gently pulling her face up so she was looking at him. Tears rolled down her face.

He sighed. "Everything's going to be alright. I promise we won't be here much longer." He pulled her into his arms and held her until she stopped crying. She soon forgot her pain thinking how safe and secure she felt with his arms around her.

Back at the room, they watched TV and then got ready for bed. She tried to control her shaking body as she slipped under the covers. What had happened last night was really an accident. Carly was hardly a prude and had as healthy an appetite as any woman her age, but this wasn't making love. This was performing for an audience, and it was making her nervous. She flipped over on her side with her back to the bathroom door and closed her eyes as she heard the bathroom door open. There was the sound of Eliot padding barefoot across the carpet and switching off the light. The covers lifted up then she felt his weight moving the mattress.

"Jen, honey. Roll over, please?"

She turned over, keeping her eyes tightly closed. She heard him snicker softly and then felt him kiss her gently on the cheek, right next to her mouth. Her eyelids fluttered open. His blue eyes were dancing in the dim light that the outside yard lights cast through the open blinds.

"This will be easier if you're on top," he whispered.

"Why?"

He smiled. "Trust me."

Carly crawled on top of Eliot and carefully tucked his hair behind his ear. With her mouth close to his ear, she whispered "I hope you know what you're doing. You do have a plan, don't you?" Hopefully, they couldn't hear them whispering.

Suddenly, he grabbed her and flipped her over on her back. The action startled her and she fought the impulse not to resist or struggle, trying to remember he was acting. At least she hoped he was. He leaned down and she felt his hot breath in her ear, his voice husky and deep as he whispered. "Act like you're turned on and call me 'Mike.'"

Her eyes went wide with surprise and she closed them quickly. _Act_, he said? With his husky voice breathing in her ear no acting was necessary. She started moaning, trying not to over do it, keeping it just loud enough for the mike to pick up.

"That's right, baby," he whispered.

"Oh, oh…Mike!" she moaned.

His body stiffened and he pushed himself up away from her.

"What?" he said angrily. "What did you call me?"

"I…ummm…no, Mark. It's not…"

"Isn't he the guy in the mail room? The one with the greasy hair? Awww, man!"

"Mark, listen to me!" she cried, trying to sound frantic.

"No, I've heard enough," he snorted.

In one quick motion, he was off the bed and halfway to the door.

"E...Mark!" Carly bit her lip at the slip. The worst thing she could do right now is call him by his real name.

He turned around, an unreadable look on his face. If she didn't know better, it was a look of helplessness. "I've got to get out of here," he mumbled. He hesitated, his mouth twisted as if he was struggling with his decision. He let out an angry grunt, turned and walked out the door slamming it behind him. She could hear his boots clomping on the carpet in the hallway.

Carly had never felt so alone in her life.


	5. Chapter 5

Eliot walked down the hallway to the elevators. Once there, he took the elevator to the ground floor, then walked down the hall to the stairs. He had seen several "geek" types go through the door and had followed them to the IT room in his previous recognizance outing. He'd also seen a guy named "Bob" come back from lunch about this time. He ran up and down the stairs a few times until the door opened and Bob entered. He looked at Eliot with a bit of shock on his face and then frowned.

"What are you doing? Guests aren't allowed down here."

"Oh, sorry." Eliot panted a few times even though he was far from being out of breath. "I was kinda workin' off some steam. Getting a little workout in the process."

"Yes, sir," Bob replied in a slightly condescending tone. "We have a gym on the ground floor."

"Yeah, well. I'm on a workout program and I like to do the stairs. Those machines aren't for me. Guess I'm just old-fashioned." He flashed Bob his best charming smile.

Bob nodded, looking him up and down.

"So, you work with computers?"

"Yes."

"I was wondering if you could help me."

"I'm not really sure…"

"See, I've been trying to print these pictures someone gave me and I can't figure out how to do it."

"What kind of pictures?"

"I like nature, you know? I like to fish and hunt. Someone at the seminar gave me some pictures of wolves and bears. And I thought it would be neat to print them out and decorate my den with them. Put it in a nice frame, you know? My den is like my retreat, where I go in the evening and get away from it all." Eliot pulled the flash drive out of his pocket and held it out to him. "Oh, but I guess you're probably too busy." His smile faded and was replaced with an expression of disappointment.

Bob looked at the flash drive, then back at Eliot. "Okay. Let's look at it."

Eliot grinned. He was always fascinated by the trusting nature of most people. A smile, a good 'ol boy accent and a little talk about sports or hunting would open more doors than a briefcase full of cash. The old expression about leading a horse to water didn't apply to most situations. Not only could you make a horse drink, you could also make him ask you to dinner and introduce you to his wife, if you played your cards right.

He watched as Bob plugged the flash drive into the USB port and pressed a few keys on the computer keyboard.

"That's the way to do it. Plug it in, plug it in." He let out a guttural laugh. "Hey, you ever do any hunting?"

"Not really. Not much time."

"Oh, right. You probably spend most of your time with computers and all. I wish I knew more about them, but when it comes to technology, I'm lost, man. My wife even has to program the DVR for me."

Bob nodded. Then he began explaining about picture file formats, JPGs, Bitmaps and GIFs. Eliot's mind starting wandering and he started getting edgy. His thoughts drifted back to Carly, wondering what would happen after this con. He thought if everything went okay, he'd ask her out.

"Okay, Eliot," Hardison's voice rang through his com. "I've got the download…Whoa! What the hell….?"

"What?" Eliot spoke before he realized he wasn't alone.

"Did you say something?" Bob asked.

"What..kind of…software should I use?" he asked, trying to cover his mistake.

Bob started explaining, but Eliot was focused on Hardison's voice. He knew the tone in his voice meant trouble.

"You ain't gonna believe this. They've got an upload account on 'XXX-Undercover. It's a porn site that uses amateur videos…"

"I know what it is."

"Well, then you should have no problem," Bob answered.

Hardison snickered. "I'm not even gonna ask. We need to find out where it's being uploaded from. Look for a second computer."

Eliot saw a blank monitor on a separate desk. "What's this screen for over here?" He pushed the big button at the bottom of the monitor and watched as it flashed on. A couple was sitting on a bed, kissing and caressing. The room looked identical to the one he and Carly were sharing.

"Whoa, Bob! What channel is this?"

Bob eyes widened and his face went white with panic when he saw the monitor. He reached over and shut it off hurriedly.

Eliot clapped his hand on Bob's back. "Bob, that doesn't look like 'The Avery's Inspiration Station'."

Bob's face was turning a deep shade of red. "It's not what it looks like. One of the younger guys must have been surfing the 'net. And when I find out who it was…"

"Okay, well, it looks like you have your hands full. I'll see ya later."

Eliot left without a glance at a flash drive he had inserted in the USB port in the back of the server. The virus Hardison created should shut down the whole operation and in addition it would allow him to download their financial information.

"Okay, Hardison. It's in," he said as soon as he was out the door. "Did I see what I thought I saw?"

"Yeah, man. I just captured the feeds coming from the cameras and it looks like they're being uploaded into the server. Oh, and Eliot, I hope you and Carly didn't get too carried away with acting the married couple."

Eliot was walking across the compound. "Why?"

Eliot stopped in his tracks when Hardison didn't answer right away. "WHAT? What are you telling me, Hardison?" he growled.

"Well, it looks like there were cameras in the rooms and uhhh…..well….I'm just saying, man…it's being broadcast on the Internet."

"Cameras? Parker didn't say anything about cameras?"

"I know! Apparently they were turned on randomly, or at certain times. They weren't on when Parker swept, or the equipment would have picked it up."

Eliot put his hands over his face to keep from screaming with rage. He looked around to see if anyone was watching, and more important, if there was anything close by he could punch. A tree, a wall, a sign, he didn't care.

"You still there, man?"

He was panting for breath and couldn't speak.

"Eliot!" Hardison shouted.

"_What?_" he roared.

"You got to get back to the room, man. Carly needs you."

Eliot broke into a run before Hardison could say her name.

After Eliot stormed out, Carly struggled to get her emotions under control. She knew he wasn't really mad, but still she was scared. Tears welled up in her eyes and she thought, "What the hell! I might as well give them a show." Covering her face with her hands, she started sobbing quietly. She cried as long as she could, and then made her way to the bathroom.

She sniffed loudly and blew her nose. Then she mumbled under breath, just loud enough for the mike to pick up. "I'm through being the bad guy! He's just as guilty as I am. If he'd pay more attention to me, I wouldn't be looking for someone else to make me happy."

Carly splashed her face with cold water and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were red. She didn't remember crying _that_ hard. She tried to estimate how long Eliot had been gone. What really bothered her was the look on his face, like he didn't want to leave. _Was I in danger?_ _Had our cover been blown?_

It was all part of the game, she knew this. She had been briefed by all the members of the Leverage team before they left. Sophie had given her tips on acting, Hardison had explained how to behave in front of a hidden camera, Nate briefed her on how to think like a conman, and Parker had revealed a few tips on self defense. Of course, she teased Eliot saying that Carly would probably have to use them on him. Eliot didn't say much, just kept asking her if she was sure she wanted to do this.

Carly would just be glad when it was over. This was really getting on her nerves, all the deception and trying to watch what she said all the time. The worst part was trying to act like a married woman while not getting turned on every time Eliot kissed her. The hardest part was wondering when she'd see him again, if ever.

When she walked back into the living room, she felt even more isolated and nervous. She tried to act natural and the only thing she could think of that came natural to her was watching television. She settled on the couch and picked up the remote. Before she could turn on the TV there was a knock on the door.

Maybe it was Eliot. She couldn't remember if she had seen him take his keys or not, and a quick glance at the table beside the door told her he hadn't. She went to the door and opened it warily. It was Steve Carroll.

"Mrs. Anderson? Are you okay?"

She smiled and nodded weakly, not sure how to play this one, not knowing what he knew. Had Eliot talked to him? Was this a trap of some sort? Before she could panic, he explained.

"I saw Mr. Anderson coming down into the lobby and he looked upset. I thought I'd come up and see what was wrong."

"Nothing. We just had a disagreement. We're fine."

"Mrs. Anderson…may I call you Jennifer?"

She nodded again, not trusting her voice. She felt lost without Eliot here to lead her words.

"May I come in? For just a moment. I think I can help."

Carly didn't see that she had a choice, since they were supposed to be building trust and how would it look if she was suspicious of the counselor? Especially since it was supposed to be her idea that they came here in the first place. She opened the door and he marched in. He grabbed the door knob and she jerked her hand away at his touch. He shut the door and stood in front of it.

She tried to keep the panic from showing in her voice. "Mr. Carroll…"

"Please call me 'Steve'. And before you say anything, just let me say I can help you overcome these insecurities you have about your relationship."

"You can?" she squeaked. This was going to be harder than she thought. She backed away from him a few steps and he followed.

He took hold of her hands and she fought hard to keep from jerking away.

"I can tell you are a giving person. You've given Mark so much and you deserve so much more in return than he's given you. Most men would thank their lucky stars to have a woman like you."

"Mr. …I mean, Steve. I don't think you should be…"

"Shhh… don't talk. I can give you what you want…what you crave…" He grabbed her wrists and pulled her towards him. She fell against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. She was so scared she thought she would pass out. The idea seemed to appeal to her, since that would probably take care of the situation. What could he do with an unconscious female?

He was inches away from her mouth and she could feel his breath on her lips. She fought back the feeling of nausea that was rising. Eliot, where the hell are you? She thought frantically. Her panicked mind began searching for the self defense moves Eliot and Parker had shown her.

There was a crash behind her and Eliot burst into the room like a raging bull. When Steve saw the murderous look on his face, he released his grasp but not before Eliot grabbed him by the back of the neck. As Carly backed she realized even she was afraid of him in that moment.

He grabbed the terrified man by the shirt, holding him inches from his face. "Just give me one good reason I shouldn't put you through that wall!"

"I….I….she was upset…I was just trying to help…"

"Help? How is making out with my wife helping?" he screamed.

Steve was opening and closing his mouth, but nothing was coming out. He looked like a fish gasping for water and only getting air. Eliot was staring at him menacingly, but not moving.

"Mark . . . let him go." Carly said, playing a hunch. How could he get out of this gracefully and not just let the guy go? He couldn't hurt him, which would get him in trouble and possibly blow their cover.

"Why should I?" he hissed.

"Because I love you. And he's not worth it. I don't want to see you go to jail again. Remember what happened to Jason? All that plastic surgery we had to pay for?" Her voice was more steady than her nerves, which at anytime betray her. Her first impulse was to run out of the room sobbing.

Poor Steve looked like he was going to pass out. He was visibly shaken, his face wet with sweat. Eliot looked like he was thinking about it, then pushed Steve away with such force he almost fell backwards.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Anderson. I really am," Steve whimpered.

Eliot glared at him, then walked to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. They both jumped when he screamed ferociously.

Carly looked helplessly at Steve and whispered, "I think you'd better leave now."

He nodded once, and then shot out the door. She went over and shut it, her shoulders heaving in silent laughter. She was afraid to laugh out loud knowing that once she started, she wouldn't be able to stop and Steve would hear her. But she was pretty sure he was probably in the elevator by now. She covered her mouth to control her hysterics. It was impossible. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Eliot's concerned face with one eyebrow raised. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

That was all it took for the laughter to turn into sobs. He grabbed Carly and pulled her into his arms, stroking the back of her head. "It's okay. I'm here now. It's going to be okay," he whispered.

"Please don't leave me like that again," she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Don't worry, darlin'. I'm not going anywhere."

She looked at him. "Promise?"

He smiled and then winked at her. His mouth twisted into that crooked smirk that she loved. "Promise."

Carly laid her head on his chest again, not wanting to move. It wasn't just acting now, she felt safe and secure. And she didn't think she could take much more of this pretentious crap. It was really getting on her nerves. She felt a deep sigh rumble in his chest. He reached around his waist and took hold of her hands, unwrapping himself from her arms. He held onto them and looked at her earnestly.

"Why don't we go for a walk? A little fresh air might do you some good."

Carly knew that look. He had something to report. The walkway to the dining room across the courtyard was the only place they could talk privately, since they couldn't mike the open air.

He took her hand and led her out the door, and down the hallway. She was dying to say something, but held it in. It was the longest elevator ride in her life.

They walked slowly, his hand still grasping hers. He leaned towards her and said, "You sure you gonna be okay?"

She nodded. "Thank God you came in when you did."

He laughed. "Hardison says 'you're welcome."

"Hardison? How did he . . ."

"He hacked into the computer system and was able to take over." He stopped suddenly and faced her. "It's about to go down, sweetheart. The whole house of cards is about to tumble down."

She was so happy she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He smiled at her, then a strange look came over his face. She watched as several emotions flickered by, then he smiled again.

"You looked relieved."

"Of course I'm relieved! This has been the most nerve-wracking experience of my life! I can't wait to get home and be somewhere I don't feel like someone's eavesdropping on me all the time."

"Yeah. Yeah, right. That will be a nice feeling."

Carly sighed. "I can't wait to get back to my little house and be alone again."

She smiled at Eliot, expecting him to smile back, but he didn't. He was wearing that veiled guarded expression that warned her things weren't right with him.

"Eliot, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he grumbled and walked off quickly into the distance.

"Where are you going?" she ran up to him and stopped. He turned around and put his hands on his hips.

"Go back to the room. I'll be back in a minute," he said.

The look on his face scared her. She went back to the room and waited as long as she could, before falling asleep watching television. He was still not back, so she crawled into bed. She couldn't shake the feeling there was something he hadn't told her. He had acted so strange before he left.

When she woke the next morning, he was in the shower. He came out fully dressed and mumbled, "Make sure your bag is packed before we go out. We may have to leave in a hurry."

"What's going on?" she asked warily.

"I told you last night," he snapped.

"I … what's wrong? Why are you acting this way?" She was alarmed by his attitude. It wasn't like Eliot to act this way toward her.

Eliot looked at her, then looked away for a moment. His eyes clouded over for a second, that look she had come to know when he was searching for the right words to say. He sighed, then looked back at her.

He smiled at her and the moment of uncertainty was gone. He was the Eliot she knew and loved again. "This gets on my nerves too, sometimes." He reached out to her and pulled her into his arms. "That offer for dinner still stands if you still want to go after this is over."

Carly looked at him and smiled. "And after dinner?"

His smile brightened and he raised his eyebrows. "We'll see. But I can tell you one thing; I won't be wearing any underwear." He kissed her on the nose. "And neither will you," he whispered.

His husky sounding voice rang in her ears and sent shivers down her spine. One more day. This would be over tomorrow. She and Eliot would be together.


	6. Chapter 6

House of Cards

The next day after breakfast was their farewell seminar. They were to stand up and tell what they had learned and how the weekend had changed their life and helped their marriage. Carly asked if they should rehearse something, but Eliot said no. "After the first five minutes, we may just have to leave in a hurry."

When Carly and Eliot arrived in the auditorium, he insisted on sitting in the back. She looked up at the stage and saw Nate and Sophie sitting with the Averys. After everyone was settled, Jeff took the podium and a quiet fell over the crowd.

"Hello, Happy Couples!"

There was a murmured response from the crowd.

"We hope you enjoyed your stay here. And I hope it was a very rewarding experience. Right now, I'd like to introduce my wife, Amy. She has a presentation she'd like to make."

Amy rose and daintily walked to the podium. She tapped on the mike, which just made her look stupid and Carly snickered in spite of herself. She regained control when she caught a glimpse of Nate staring at her. Even from the back of the room, she could see a hint of a smile on his lips.

The lights went down and Amy began to speak. "As a wife and woman of God, I know what it's like to work and worship and still have the challenge of finding time for me. We all deserve a break, something we can do for ourselves, isn't that right ladies?"

There was a smattering of applause and Carly made out a few women glancing at their husbands as if asking for permission to respond.

"That is why I am in the process of developing a spa for God-fearing women. Ladies, introducing the 'Averys Shining Light Spa.'" She raised her hand with great flare and the screen behind her lit up. Carly expected to see a building, or some inspirational scenery. Instead there was a couple lying in bed. The sound of woman's voice came over the loudspeakers.

"Steve, darling, it's only a matter of time now. And I'll make sure that you get all the rights to the Camp after the divorce." It was clearly the voice of Amy Avery. It was hard to identify woman in the video, but there was no mistake the man was Steve. Jeff jumped up and shouted, "You harlot! Where is that son-of-a-bitch!" and jumped off the stage and ran into the audience.

Now Steve was crawling on top of the woman and it was obvious what they were doing to everyone in the audience. Amy was screaming at the top of her lungs, "Shut it off! Shut it off! Get it off of there!"

The scene went away and was replaced by another scene of another couple. Carly immediately recognized the setting. The room was identical to the one she and Eliot shared. She felt all the blood drain out of her face. "Wha…." She was vaguely aware of Eliot pulling on her arm and saying, "C'mon. Let's go!"

She pulled back with all her strength and planted her feet firmly. "NO! What the hell's going on, Eliot?"

"Don't do this now!" he hissed. "I'll explain later. We've got to leave! NOW!"

Carly looked back at the screen. There was a montage of smaller screens of different scenes of different couples making love. The number of screens that made the montage kept growing.

"Ms. Avery! You have some explaining to do! What is the meaning of this?" Nate was standing right beside the microphone shouting at Amy, who was cowering away from him trying to escape. He grabbed her by the arm.

"That's me and my wife up there!" An angry voice was heard shouting from the crowd, followed by other voices louder and angrier. The crowd began to storm the stage, along with the camp's security guards.

Suddenly Carly felt someone grab her other arm and she was being dragged out of the auditorium. She turned around to see Parker on her other side. "You can't be here! We have to go!" she shouted above the noise of the crowd storming the stage.

Once outside, her sense of self-preservation took over and she started walking briskly to keep up with Parker and Eliot. "My suitcase!" she cried out.

"Already in the van," Parker answered and kept walking. Once outside, Hardison met them with a black van. Eliot opened the side door and lifted Carly inside. As he jumped inside, she saw Parker shutting her door in the front passenger seat as Hardison sped away.

"What about Nate and Sophie?" she asked.

"They're doing follow up. Waiting for the Feds to get there."

"The Feds?"

"Yeah," Hardison said dryly, "they received an anonymous tip concerning illegal electronic surveillance and incidents of privacy violation. Should keep them busy in the court system for a few years." He glanced at Eliot in the rearview mirror. "Oh, and I promise I never checked out your video on the website."

"SHUT UP, HARDISON!"

Carly looked at Eliot. "What's he talking about?"

"I'll explain later." He looked away quickly.

She opened her mouth to yell at him, then decided against it. If what Hardison was referring to was what she thought it was, she would rather wait until they were alone.

It was a long silent drive back to Boston. If emotional tension was smoke, they would have all suffocated. When they reached office, Parker and Hardison bailed out quickly with Eliot and Carly following. Before he could reach the door, she grabbed Eliot by the arm. "I think you said something about explaining?"

He whirled around, frowning. "What? You knew we were under surveillance!"

"But not cameras! You should have told me."

"What, and have you freak out on me? You were barely holding it together as it was."

"Well, it might have been a little easier if I had known what to expect."

He snorted. "Yeah, right," he said sarcastically. "I didn't think you were having any problem with it. You seemed to know what you were doing."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she spat.

"I think you know what I mean. That little bedroom scene we staged. You seemed to be enjoying yourself from my point of view. Or are you going to tell me that you were just acting?"

Carly could feel the heat rising to her face. She felt like a trapped animal and could feel the adrenaline rise. So what was it going to be? Fight or flight?

"What the hell do you think?" She tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around to face him.

"Don't walk away from me! I want some answers. Ever since I met you you've been playing like this poor innocent creature in need of a big strong man to rescue you. But I think there's more to you than that. You don't seem like the dumb female type to me."

"What's your point, Eliot?"

"Why did you do it? Why did you agree to do this job with me?"

Carly glared at him. She was so angry at him. How could he have used her like this? Set her up knowing what was going on? She jerked out of his grasp and stepped away from him. Taking a deep breath, she looked him square in the eye and said quietly, "I think I was told I was going to get paid for this, right?"

Eliot's eyes narrowed and flashed cold steel as he stared at her. She could feel her leaping in her chest. Yep, flight mode was coming up pretty quick.

"Fine!" he spat. "I'll have Hardison transfer the money to your account."

"Oh, good! You two made it out okay! I was worried." Sophie's voice came up behind her before she could speak.

She turned around and opened her mouth to say something to Sophie, but words failed her. She had to leave before they saw her cry.

When she reached her car, she waited a few minutes to see if anyone was coming after her. When no one came, she started her car and sped out of the parking lot. As she left, she wondered how Hardison would transfer the money to her account. Then she remembered what Eliot said, that he was the best hacker in the country.

She laughed bitterly. He probably lied about that too.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been 6 weeks since she'd seen Eliot, so she was shocked to see him leaning against her car as she walked across the parking lot leaving work. Her heart started racing. He was wearing a tight blue denim shirt and dark blue jeans. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail. As she approached, she tried to read his expression, but it was difficult as he was wearing those damn dark shades.

"Eliot? What's up?" she asked casually. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Just came by to see how you were doing. Can we talk?"

"Sure." Something about the tone of his voice made Carly suspicious. She unlocked the car and he opened the door for her. Then he walked around and got in the other side. He took off his shades and turned to face her.

"Carly, I wanted to apologize for the way things went down. I should have told you about the cameras. Truth is, we didn't know about them until the day before we left. Hardison doesn't think they were turned on when Parker swept the room."

She drew another deep breath to steady her nerves and was greeted with the smell of his cologne. A woodsy smell with a hint of orange.

He watched her too closely for her comfort. She looked down at her hands, not knowing what to say, or how to react. This was way too intimate for this setting. She wished she was at home, or at the park, or anywhere but the tight confines of her small car, which until that moment had been just the right size for her. Now it felt like a coffin.

He sighed. "I guess I got the wrong impression. That first night we spent together at the resort, I thought that ..."

"That I was just playing along with the con? The pay off was good, but not _that_ good." Her voice was edged with tension. She was ready for this conversation, this situation, hell…this relationship or whatever it was to be over. She hated confrontation of any kind.

He snorted and shook his head. "I should have known. Typical."

Carly laughed bitterly. "Oh, no, don't play that 'it's not my fault; she's a female' card with me. That road goes both ways, Mr. Spencer. No man's going to buy me. Not like that!"

"What…you think this is about money?" He stared at her in disbelief.

"Isn't it? You said…."

"Would you listen for a minute?" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I was trying to tell you…"

Suddenly he fell silent and stared at her. His eyes darkened for a second. "Naw, this is a bad idea…" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Carly. I can't do this. Have a nice life." He opened the door and got out of the car.

Carly watched, stunned as he slammed the car door. Then what he was about to say came to light, a bright blinding light. She was out of the car and around to the other side before he opened the door of his truck. He froze and turned around when he heard her behind him. Before he could react, she grabbed him by the back of the neck and pressed her lips against his in a brutal kiss. He instantly wrapped his arms around her and pressed himself against her. His mouth opened against hers and captured her bottom lip, biting it playfully. Then his tongue sought the soft inside of her mouth and caressed her tongue passionately.

He gradually broke away from the kiss, ending with a soft gently whispering brush of his lips against hers. He looked at her, his expression a mix of confusion and passion.

"I couldn't let you go without letting you know how I really felt," she explained. "I know you don't want to be tied down and that's okay. I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you.

As he smiled at her, he had a sad look in his piercing blue eyes. "I can't do that to you. I travel too much. I never know in my line of work . . ."

"Aw, screw your line of work. Can't we at least try? Don't we deserve a little happiness? We're adults, Eliot, not dewy-eyed teenagers expecting a happy-ever-after love story. Can't we give ourselves a month or two, maybe longer? We owe ourselves that much."

She was shivering in the heat, the strength of her emotions taking over. She watched for his reaction. "Eliot, I don't know about you, but I'll spend the rest of my life wondering how it would have been. I'll always wonder what I missed."

He smiled that crooked smile of his.

"Yeah, me too." He tilted her head back and kissed her softly and gently on the lips.

"I only have one question," Carly said.

"What?"

"Where are we going for dinner?"

"I've got a better one. What's for dessert?" he asked, his blue eyes dancing mischievously.


End file.
